First doses of COVID-19 vaccine arrive in Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph

Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health says it has received its first shipment of the Pfizer-BioNTechCOVID-19 vaccine.

The first doses arrived at around 9 a.m. Tuesday morning, the health unit said in a release. The first vaccinations will begin 10 a.m. Wednesday with the region's full vaccine program set to roll out on Thursday.

The news comes after public healthcancelled vaccinations Monday, citing a delayed shipment from Pfizer Canada. A spokesperson for Pfizer Canada disagreed with that assessmentand told CBC News there were no shipment delays Monday.

Dr. Nicola Mercer, the medical officer of health, said in a statement the arrival of the vaccine was "tremendous news" for the region.

"I'm grateful for Pfizer's ongoing support in ensuring we could begin vaccinations as soon as possible," Mercer said.

Mercer said she looks forward to working with Pfizer "to create more clarity" about the timing of weekly shipments.

Pfizer Canada spokesperson Christina Antoniou said the company is pleased that Wellington-Dufferin-GuelphPublic Health has received its shipment and can begin to vaccinate people in the community.